


The Song of the Siren

by 3minswriting



Series: Assorted Tales of Water and Scales [1]
Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dubious Consent, M/M, bottom dongho, captain!JR, crewmen minrenron, serial format, siren!dongho
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:48:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 12,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23983309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/3minswriting/pseuds/3minswriting
Summary: The crew of the Polaris find a strange and lovely creature trapped in their fishing net.They don't throw him back.or: siren dongho will be the end of us all
Relationships: Choi Minki | Ren/Kang Dongho | Baekho, Hwang Minhyun/Kang Dongho | Baekho, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Aaron Kwak | Aron, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Everyone, Kang Dongho | Baekho/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Series: Assorted Tales of Water and Scales [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083971
Comments: 95
Kudos: 86





	1. i

**Author's Note:**

> look i was just minding my own business writing a minbaek au and then dongho's the nocturne trailer came out and i lost my gddamn MIND ok so now everyone else has to suffer with me (and dongho, apparently. iM SORRY ;;)
> 
> my fave described this fic as "drama thriller erotica fantasy, maybe historical romance"
> 
> that pretty much sums it up. 
> 
> let's heave to, sailors.

"Oh my god, what is it?"  
"It's a fish, Aron."  
"I can see that, Captain, but what are we gonna do with it?"  
"I think 'him' is more accurate..-ow!"   
"Calm the hell down." Jonghyun slapped Minhyun's fingers away from parting more of the strange creature's half-unbuttoned shirt. "And don't touch it, we don't know its skin may be poisonous or something."  
"But he's so beautiful.." Mingi breathed, wandering around the deck to the other side of the flattened net so he could crouch down beside their latest catch, unintentionally mirroring Minhyun's actions until a warning snap from their captain made him withdraw his fingers. 

  
"I heard tales of mermaids but I didn't think they were real." Jonghyun shook his head, running a hand through his damp hair.   
Laid out in front of the four men however, was irrefutable evidence that indeed, the lovely sirens of the sea were not merely myth-- or at the very least, that one of them still lived. 

  
When they'd pulled up the trawler net this evening to bring in the final haul before heading back to shore, never in their wildest dreams (ok, well maybe Minhyun's, but he wasn't about to admit it to the rest of his crewmates) had they expected this:

  
a luminescent fish's tail of lilac, shimmering scales catching the fading evening sunlight as it writhed desperately in its dripping prison; unfurling to reveal the partially clothed upper body of a human male. Clawed fingers tugged at the net while terrified golden eyes stared out at the four men on deck. 

  
"Set it down!" Jonghyun had found his voice when the others could not, and Mingi and Aron hurried to lower the net and let the live contents spill onto the deck. 

  
Usually the last haul was a light one at best. With the stormclouds gathering in the west, Jonghyun had commanded they leave a little early, get a headstart to beat the thunder and waves before they were stuck out here all night.

  
Tonight's haul was anything but light.


	2. ii

The creature had tried to escape the moment it was let down, dazzling scales slapping uselessly against the timber in a pathetic attempt to gain traction, go back to the sea.

  
  


"Grab the net, goddamnit!" Jonghyun barked, and his crew jerked to action, just as disoriented as the creature they had captured. Aron and Minhyun dragged the net to close while Mingi fetched the harpoons, tossing one to his captain and aimed it at the writhing mass of flesh and scale.

  
  


The glint of the harpoon tips caught the creature's attention. Golden eyes disappeared behind crushed eyelids and it began to shiver. Mingi's hands began to waver.

  
  


"Captain-"

"Mingi, no."

"But Captain!"

"Don't let your guard down. We don't know what this is." Jonghyun stated calmly.

  
  


Suddenly, the entire boat lurched sideways as a powerful wave crashed against the hull. The four humans lost their footing.

"Fuck!" Mingi screamed over the hiss of the waves .

  
  


A whistle.

  
  


A thud, as the harpoon tip sank into its accidental target.

  
  


"Oh my god Mingi you fucking shot it you killed it what the fuck!" Minhyun was screaming,

"No I didn't I didn't mean to-" Mingi dropped the gun, ignoring as it slid across the slippery deck, palms to his cheeks as he moaned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do i make a joke abt premature e-
> 
> no no i dont.
> 
> ....or do i


	3. iii

"Minhyun! Mingi!" Jonghyun snapped, lowering his weapon as he strode over to the creature, now laying still and lifeless against the deck, its handsome face matted with stray seaweed and strands of lavender hair. 

As the pair screamed and wailed in panic behind him, Jonghyun crouched down to carefully prod at the long fish tail with the tip of his harpoon. He didn't take his eyes off the prone body of the creature, only nodding as he caught Aron's motion near his left. Aron still had the net drawstring in his grip, the rope end Minhyun had been holding now collected in his other hand as well.

  
Silently, Jonghyun dabbed the tip of the spearhead against the scales. His eyes narrowed on the creature's relaxed face, waiting for a sign of life, any motion at all.

  
He let out a breath, and stood up, shouldering the harpoon against his shoulder. Aron tightened his grip on the ropes. 

  
Jonghyun nodded at his first mate, then raised his voice. "Mingi! Minhyun! Shut up and stop running around."

  
"Captain, I'm sorry I didn't mean-," Mingi's face was stricken with guilt, his wrists frozen in Minhyun's angry grip while the taller man was menacing over him.

  
"To be such a terrible shot, yes. I know." Jonghyun replied, a hint of a smirk appearing. "If you were any better, you might have actually hit something. I'm docking the damage to the deck from your next pay."

  
"Wh-hat? You mean?" Mingi's eyes widened as Minhyun's hands dropped, both men staring hopefully at the creature's body. 

  
"I think the fish fainted.." Aron said, laughing at Mingi. "You scared the hell out of it."

"Never thought I'd be glad that Mingi can't shoot to save a life `cept the one time he did." Minhyun cackled, clapping his now free hands together. 

  
They all crowded around the mysterious creature, less frightened now that it was motionless. Jonghyun kept his harpoon at the ready while his crewmen circled it.   
"You can drop the net, Aron. I don't think it's going anywhere for a while."

  
"Aye." Aron instead retrieved the mistakenly shot spear, yanking it free and keeping it in hand.

  
After several minutes of bickering and observation between Minhyun and Mingi, the round started anew when the youngest crewman turned his questioning eyes to their captain.   
"So..what are we gonna do with him?"

"Yeah, definitely a him." Minhyun agreed, yanking his hands away to safety just before Jonghyun could slap at him again for touching at the creature. He grinned, and shrugged an unrepentant shoulder.   
"It's a fish, we can't be sure if its a him or her. Besides some fish can change sexes..." Aron trailed off when Minhyun's attention whipped over to him. "I'm just saying we don't _know_ , ok?"  
"It doesn't matter what it is." Jonghyun nodded towards the darkening horizon, thick with cloud and rain. "We have to head back to shore before the storm hits. Aron, take the helm and get us on track. Mingi, get the biggest barrel we have in the storeroom and bring it round-"  
"Captain!" Mingi brightened. "We're-?"  
"I gave you an order, Mingi. Hurry up." Jonghyun said, a little more gently. Instantly, the younger man ran to the lower decks while Aron was already running up to the helm. 

  
"I can carry him, Captain." Minhyun offered, reaching to scoop the bundle of net and creature up.   
"I don't recall asking for your help." Jonghyun replied. "Get the spare sailcloth. We need to wrap it up before we move it."  
"Yes, Captain." 

  
As Minhyun scrambled off, Jonghyun looked down at the slow rise and fall of the creature's chest. 

  
It looked harmless like this, and if you were to ignore the tail (as Jonghyun was quite sure his tallest crewman was), easily the creature could be mistaken for a nobleman of the same age as the fisherman crew, who had somehow fallen overboard and needed rescuing desperately. The glimpse of skin that peeked through the drenched shirt and the chiseled face all glowed with a rosy softness of a man who had never seen a hard day in his blessed life.

  
 _Well_ , Jonghyun thought to himself as he heard Minhyun's eager footsteps approaching, _that isn't going to be the case any longer_. 

  
Jonghyun had plans for it.


	4. iv

"He's kinda heavy." Minhyun commented, wiping off the droplets of sweat on his forehead.  
Three of them stood around the barrel. The lilac tail flopped over the rim like a lone wilting flower in a vase. With the top half of the creature submerged and only the tail showing, it almost looked like they'd simply caught a monstrous fish. Under the layer of seawater Mingi had poured into the barrel and the sailcloth however, they all knew the truth. They'd caught someone far more remarkable.

"Is he going to be able to breathe ok like that?" Mingi asked.  
"It lived in the ocean, it's meant to be in water." Jonghyun cut in before Minhyun could open his mouth and tease the youngest crewmember with something outlandish.  
"But he's all squashed up.."  
"It will get used to it. Mingi, take first watch over it. Shout if it wakes up." Jonghyun glanced at Minhyun. "I need help with the rigging. Let's go."  
"Don't you think someone else should stay here with Mingi?" Minhyun shot back. "He almost killed him with the harpoon-,"  
"-it was an accident!"  
"That wasn't a request, Minhyun. It was an order." Jonghyun started up the stairs.  
Minhyun sighed, rolling his eyes. He glanced at Mingi, who stiffened and stepped closer to the barrel. "Don't do anything stupid if it moves. Legends say mermaids eat sailors, don't you know."  
He headed up the stairs, laughing, ignoring Mingi's horrified stare burning holes into his back as he did. 

"That..can't be true." Mingi looked at the lifeless tail poking out pathetically out of the barrel. "You're too small to be a man-eater, right?" There was no reaction from the fish in the barrel. Mingi nodded to himself, settling to sit down on watch. "Right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ..right?


	5. v

Under Aron's steady hand, the fishing trawler was slowly steered starboard, zig-zagging westward to the invisible island shoreline. Progress was jagged and slow, with sprays of breaking waves dousing the deck in saltwater as the ocean grew wilder. Although he had attempted to navigate away from the storm, all around clouds overhead had grown grey, each droplet aged with impending stormwater. Jonghyun and Minhyun struggled with the mainsail rigging as the wind attempted to yank the ropes from out of their hands. 

"It's gotten a hell of a lot worse damn quick, ey Captain?" Minhyun yelled cheerfully over the roar of the waves. 

"Belay the tack, Minhyun." The muscles in Jonghyun's clenched jaw were in competition with the tensing of his biceps as he kept the ropes steady, leaning his weight back into his thighs to keep balance. 

"It's going to be a shocker, look at those clouds!" Minhyun continued to fasten the sail corner as commanded but chose to ignore the hidden order as he kept talking, "I think we're going to be lucky to make it ashore in time. You remember last time we were out in a storm like this? The Polaris barely managed to-"

"Leave the Polaris to me." Jonghyun pointed out the forestay at the other end of the deck. "The forestay, Minhyun. Go."

"-and what's going to happen when we get back to shore, if we make it. Hey!" Minhyun brightened, smirking, "You think this sudden storm has anything to do with-,"

"Forestay."

"Oh, aye, aye." Minhyun half ran, half fell along the sloping slippery deck, hands occassionally finding the ledge of the boat to steady himself. 

Over the noise of the waves, Jonghyun could hear the taller man's happy bellow as they took on a huge slap of seawater across the mainsail. 

"Idiot." He looked back at where Aron stood vigilant at the helm, resisting the urge of the wheel's spin and easing her slowly around, trying to dodge the harshest blows of wind punching at the Polaris' sails. Jonghyun bit his lip, furiously whipping around to check where in the distance, he could barely make out the blinding platinum blond head of Minhyun near the forestay. _Hurry up_ , he thought to himself. _We don't want to get caught out here._

The wind was picking up, attacking the stained canvas sails as Aron struggled to keep them all upright instead of careening further out to sea.

"The hell is he doing?" Jonghyun muttered between grit teeth. This wasn't the time to be dallying - it never was, but Jonghyun usually overlooked his crewman's relaxed attitude to the concept of making haste when given an order despite it testing his patience. "Minhyun!"

  
But the blond couldn't hear him, not his shout, not Aron's, not the giant wave soaring up from behind, not until it was too late.


	6. vi

Below the deck, Mingi hummed to himself. The notes that he followed were to a melody he had never heard before but the progression felt somehow familiar, as though he had heard it once in a dream and could only replicate fragments between his lips. Something was missing between his breaths, another voice; but Mingi sensed those notes in the silence, as if he wasn't singing alone. 

"So pretty.." The gathering drops of seawater strung along the luxurious trim of the pink fin like a necklace of pearls. They wobbled and swam under Mingi's blurry gaze, his brown eyes crossed as the tip of his nose nearly collided with the sparkling surface when the boat suddenly lurched.

"Ah!" Mingi fell on his butt. Shaking a fist at the deck above, he barely managed to roll over onto his knees. "Aron! Be careful! You're gonna make us keel!" Once the boat steadied enough, he shuffled over to barrel again.

He carefully embraced the swollen wood in both arms, chest soaked with water sloshing from the overflow.

"I got you." Mingi held on tight, dragged along with the heavy barrel as it skidded a few centimetres across the floor. "We're gonna take you home with us. You'll see. Jonghyun will find somewhere we can keep you, I think."

For a moment, Mingi jerked back in surprise as the tail seemed to move near his forearm. Then he realised it was merely the motion from the swaying boat that had moved it. "Phew, you almost scared me there." He laughed, holding tighter and adjusting his grip. "But I guess I scared you before too, so that makes us even."

Mingi straightened his back so he could get a better look at the contents of the barrel. The water was almost black in the darkness, the top half of the creature impossible to see. Though, as Mingi leaned over more, he could make out the faintest hints of an outline, rose and gold skin meeting with the generous curves of glittering hips. Ripples on the surface of the water moved to a rhythm untouched by the shuddering of the Polaris. 

He licked his dry lips, eyes darting to the waterfall of lilac scales flowing over the open mouth of the barrel.

Beautiful. Unbelievable. No one back home was ever going to believe that he had really seen a merman, that they had really caught something so magnificent.

He was right here and even this close, it still felt impossible.

Unreal.

Fingers inched upward, smoothing over the cold wood.

"You wouldn't hurt me, would you?" Mingi muttered to no one in particular.

Maybe the ocean, maybe the boat, maybe those stunning scales.

Just a touch, he bargained, just one. Jonghyun wouldn't need to know. And Mingi knew fish - the ocean creatures that were poisonous were always marked brightly, full of natural warnings of bright colours or scary spurs.

"But you're not like that." Mingi cooed softly, hand pulling away from the barrel and reaching for the still merman fin. "You're soft, you're beautiful." Like the violet-tipped skies that he often stared at from the cliff faces of his homeland, the tail in front of him glowed gently. It was not a clash of violent colours but instead the perfect bleed of dusk stealing across the dying day.

"..so lovely.." The words fell from his lips without meaning to be uttered. "You're..so.."

Mingi reached.

And then he screamed.


	7. vii

"Goddamnit!" Jonghyun growled, barely sparing a second to swipe the water from his face. He gripped Minhyun's arm tighter than he had the rigging, not caring when the other whined as he dragged him up. "On your feet!” He threw his head back to the menacing ocean, waves darting up and down like rows of shark’s teeth waiting to tear into the hull of the tiny Polaris.

Somehow it felt darker than it ever had before.

Angrier.

  
Jonghyun shoved Minhyun against the spar of the mainsail to give him something else to hold onto.  
“Thanks, Captain, thought I was gonna go over.” Minhyun laughed, even as Jonghyun told him they all still just might. Under their feet, the tiny floating world as they knew it trembled.   
“Ease up the sail.” Jonghyun told him. "We're gonna be out here for a while." 

-

From his vantage point, Aron's arms were trembling with effort as the helm thrashed like a wanton whore between his palms. He had never known the Polaris to be this headstrong, usually she incredibly responsive to his careful guidance. His view of the deck confirmed Jonghyun was back at the ropes and Minhyun, further down, was too. It eased the tension in his shoulders just barely, seeing the Captain at the rigging. They had fought through many squalls before – the ocean was forever changeable and temperamental – but Aron’s gut told him that this was different. 

  
Tonight was going to be longest night of their lives.

  
The clouds were no longer a distant threat looming on the horizon. In a matter of minutes, the storm had descended upon them, rousing the ocean's waves heavenward with tantalising fingers of lightning. Daggers of rain began to down on the deck, slashing streaks of wetness against the fluttering sails. As Jonghyun worked the ropes, shortening and loosening the sails as the wind gained and suddenly died in random bursts, Aron synchronised his steering to ease a path with as little resistance to the waves as possible. The Polaris, little more than a sliver of silver attempting to stitch a path through the black folds of the ocean, was barely holding her own.  
“Shit!” Aron felt more than saw the wave inbound, unable to steer quite fast enough to hide the bulk of the vulnerable port. 

  
The helm slipped out of his grasp, spinning wildly as the entire world turned sideways and Aron was falling, into clouds, into water, into the stars.


	8. viii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wdmt ? :'Db

A shallow layer of water had spread throughout the lower deck, little waves lapping at the corner of Mingi’s chin. Groaning, his palms waded to find the floor underneath and he pushed himself onto his knees. It was dark, the storm outside hammering angrily against the walls of the hull as if trying to tear its way inside. Mingi shivered, trying to get his bearings.

He had no idea how long he’d been out for. In the darkness, time seemed to pass differently.

He remembered had been holding the barrel. He had been keeping an eye on the merman just like Jonghyun had ordered. Holding on tight to the barrel, only to feel the entire weight of it pulling away from his grip as the boat lurched on its side, threatening to capsize.

From the stern of the lower deck, Mingi could faintly hear the thuds of an empty barrel bouncing between the other strapped down containers of their small cargo load.

It sounded distant compared to the roar of blood rushing through his veins.

The drum of his heartbeat in his ears.

The soft sigh of the merman’s breath as he stirred beneath Mingi’s splayed arms.

Transfixed, Mingi watched as golden eyes slowly dawned behind fluttering eyelashes, their unearthly glow casting light and shadow on the merman’s face.

In his chest, Mingi felt his heart skip two beats.

“Hi..” He didn’t know if the creature could understand him but his voice stayed soft, if a little shaken as though the missed beats of his heart had drummed out two extra syllables in that short greeting. The last thing he wanted was for the merman to panic. “You’re awake.”

Mingi had no time to react. First he saw the merman’s face freeze into an all too human expression Mingi recognised instantly – fear – next he felt the ground underneath him suddenly become alive, a slithering pillar of cool muscle colliding from his chest to between his legs, only to vault him five metres away into the cargo boxes.

“Aghhh.” When he recovered enough, Mingi could see the merman had managed to put even more distance between them.

He was curled up against the curved wall of the hull, partially hidden by a smattering of cargo boxes. The long fish tail flicked in the shallow water in sharp movements. Mingi recognised it as the thrashing panic of a fish that had just been hooked. The merman was holding himself up, peeking out behind the box. Golden eyes glowed in the dark, a faint amber light staring right at Mingi.

“That hurt, you know.” Mingi whined, rolling his sore neck as he gripped the edge of a box to keep himself steady while the Polaris continued swaying drunkenly on the waves. “I wasn’t going to do anything.” It was a lie he was practicing for when the Captain came back, and Mingi thought it came out quite well. The merman seemed to neither believe or disbelieve him, only staring with those fearful eyes. Maybe he couldn’t understand. “Hey..” As Mingi attempted to stand up, the merman shrank back, ducking further behind the cargo. “Why are you hiding?” It didn’t make sense – mermaids were meant to be the man-eaters, so why was this creature so frightened of him? The harpoon thing was an accident, after all. Just the thought of the lovely creature holding that against him made Mingi’s stomach sink.

He managed to get two steps closer when the ship shuddered and swayed again, knocking him to his knees. “Damn Aron, watch it!” Mingi cursed to the ceiling, only to see the merman had retreated even more when he raised his voice. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean to shout.”

The merman didn’t reply. Mingi tried a different approach, pointing at himself. “I’m Mingi. Min-gi.” Golden eyes blinked. Nothing. “What’s your name? Do you have a name?”

When Mingi took his next shuffle closer, the merman didn’t move. Only watched. Mingi smiled, reaching out a hand slightly, the other anchored against the wall. Amber eyes flickered from Mingi’s face to the offered hand, then back up to his face. The merman’s broad shoulders caved as if to make himself smaller but he stayed otherwise still. Mingi kept his voice soft and reassuring, coaxing the same way he did the stray cats that lived at the docks with leftover baitfish from the day’s haul. For a moment he looked at his own hand offered in a peace gesture and the scary thought crossed his mind that maybe the merman might think he was trying to feed him instead. Swallowing thickly, Mingi looked to the amber eyes on him and his fears began to float away.

No, it was impossible.

Something this beautiful could not harm anyone.

Minhyun was teasing him. Probably.

He hoped.

Stumbling carefully, Mingi kept his hand out for the merman. Somehow, walking felt easier the closer they were, as if the lurching waves no longer had any power over Mingi’s steps as long as he followed the twin golden lights leading him. The merman moved his tail slowly, holding himself up a little higher.

“MINGI! GET THE ROPES AND GET UP HERE NOW!” Jonghyun’s voice barely made it downstairs before a roar of thunder could drown it out.

Both Mingi and the merman tensed, turning towards the sound. With a heavy heart Mingi noticed the beautiful creature had retreated again. A sudden frustration welled up in Mingi’s throat, the temptation to shout back at Jonghyun that he was busy almost breaking through.

But then he remembered shouting would only frighten the merman again, and his expression softened, rebellion fading away. “I have to go, but you stay here ok? Be careful the storm’s really bad. I’ll be back down as soon as I can.”

He felt the golden eyes on him as he ran up the stairs, and didn’t stumble a single step.


	9. ix

Above deck, Mingi was met with the end of the world. 

Black clouds had swallowed every inch of the sky and all around the tiny vessel swirled a ferocious ocean. Salt water mixed with rain, splashing Mingi from every angle as he struggled up with an arm full of rope, a loop already belted around his waist and secured to one of the banisters from below the desk - it wasn't ideal, but for now it was keeping him attached to the Polaris as it careened over the waves.

"Mingi!" The younger man screamed in surprise, barely able to see his captain until they were right beside each other. He almost didn't recognise him-- Jonghyun's usual navy cloak had been shucked away, possibly being tossed among the waves like the ocean's giddy trophy as it toyed with the Polaris. It left his loose blue shirt and trousers exposed to the elements, soaked and sagging from his frame. His hair was blackened by water, his eyes dark, and Mingi feared that somehow in his penetrating stare, Jonghyun could tell what had happened between him and the merman below deck. 

Jonghyun took the ropes from his hand, immediately winding one length around his waist and hooped the other over his shoulder. 

Looking around, Mingi felt the earlier steadiness in his steps start to falter and the warmth in his bones fading, mixing with the rainfall draining off the slippery deck. Jonghyun was screaming orders at him - he could see the Captain's mouth moving - but over the thundering waves Mingi heard nothing. 

He wanted to go back down to the lower deck, he didn't want to be here, here where hell was not fire and brimstone but water and darkness, waves like gnashing teeth that wanted to sink into Mingi, into the Polaris, to devour them all like a starving siren--

"MINGI! Focus!" Jonghyun slapped a hand painfully onto his shoulder, startling Mingi out of his terror.  
"Aye!" Mingi stuttered, waiting for orders.  
Jonghyun had to lean right into Mingi's ear for his shout to be heard, "Get Aron below! The cabin. Then the rigging, help Minhyun. Got that?"  
"Sir!" Mingi felt his feet weigh down with dread as he looked to the helm station. Aron wasn't standing upright.  
He wasn't even visible.  
"Shit.."  
"Go! I'll be right behind you!" Jonghyun shoved him to get moving, waiting only a second to make sure Mingi was following orders before he staggered across the deck to reach Minhyun with the safety rope.

-

The ship’s wheel was spinning out of control. Aron's slumped form was curled around the pedestal, a loop of rope the only thing keeping him aboard. When Mingi arrived he couldn't get a reaction from the older man by screaming his name, and he feared the worst until he felt the pulse under his trembling fingertips. 

Down below, Mingi told himself. It was safe in the lower deck, he was certain. The merman was down there too, and Mingi felt like he shouldn’t be too far away from him either. He had to go down and check to be sure he was fine too.  
"I got you." It wasn't easy to gather the dead weight of Aron's unconscious body when rain and water was everywhere, the rocking boat tumbling on the waves and making him lose his grip. Mingi had barely made a metre before Jonghyun arrived.

Jonghyun didn't spare a glance to his struggling crewmen. He grabbed the abandoned ship’s wheel with both hands, the handles rearing and straining against his command like the horns of an untamed wildebeast. Each wave, each bellow of wind had the Polaris trying to meekly show her hull to the ocean in defeat, but the ship did not have the right to make that decision, not with her Captain back at the wheel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> brb drowning in my own clown tears post-menpa LOL


	10. x

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i went from post-menpa crying to heavy sweating in 12 hrs the mV TEASER I

Jonghyun settled into a lowered stance in his rightful position at the helm, his back straight and chin raised as he observed the chaos around him. From his reckoning - instinct, purely, which had been honed by years on the water and a decade of being Captain of his very own ship - Jonghyun was sure they were only halfway through the night. The storm was raging as badly as ever. Earlier that evening he had checked the clouds through his spyglass.

None of them had even hinted at the wildness that they were currently trying to survive.

It was pointless wondering on if he had read the sky wrong - Jonghyun knew he hadn't. Instead he kept his focus on what he could control – the ship, his crew, and the creature below – and steered. There were no stars to assist in navigating. He followed the rhythms of the ocean, heels buried into the soaked floorboards like a rider spurring his unruly stallion onto the correct trail. It wasn’t so much a visible path but a deep-seated intuition that carved out a line in the darkness like gold veins trickling through grey stone. Not even the enclosing waves could shield it from his senses. He would follow the trail of gold wherever it led him.

It was the only way.

“The hell is he?” It could have been an hour, or maybe it was only a few seconds, but it felt like years since he'd seen Mingi. The younger crewman only had to settle Aron's unconscious body in the sole cabin bed and come straight back up - a trip even in this weather that should have only taken minutes at best. Jonghyun could tell Minhyun was struggling with the rope knots because the ship's mainsail was fluttering as wildly as a moth's wings trying to unfurl– and if the whole damn thing unrolled then the mast was going to snap under the wind's unrelenting pressure. "MINGI!"

Almost instantly, he noticed his crewman appearing from the hatch. Mingi slithered across the tilted deck before he grabbed hold of the ropes around the mast. Minhyun met him there and the pair worked on the knots, refastening the mainsail. Jonghyun gave no orders; they knew what they needed to do from now on until the storm broke or they did: whichever came first.


	11. xi

It was pleasantly warm, Aron thought sleepily, heat oozing around him like syrup and circling his tired muscles. Aron had always been a natural when it came to steering but his most celebrated talent among the crew was definitely his navigating. Maps were his forte; they didn't appear as flat surfaces but a living, breathing entity. Jonghyun trusted his advice and followed his set pathways without question.

They had sailed for years together, young boys aboard Jonghyun's father's ship to learn the only trade available to their tiny dockside town, and when Jonghyun bought the Polaris at sixteen, there had been an awkward moment when the seller had assumed Aron, the elder of the pair, to be the Captain.

"She's a beauty, won't let ya down."

"I'm sure she won't." Aron nodded past the seller to address Jonghyun, adding pointedly, "`ey Captain?"

"No, she'll do nicely." Jonghyun had grinned, patting the cypress hull that Mingi later would christen by throwing a snowball of fishmonger's ice at it.

Aron was the only member of their small crew Jonghyun allowed to take control of the helm when the Captain had other matters to attend to, but it was always an exhausting duty. Aron, frankly, preferred the maps and plotting over the constant strain of paying attention to the water, the Polaris, and the winds.

So it felt good now, to be relaxing in a warm bed, the world still and firm under his back with a faint breeze tickling the strands of hair away from his forehead. Far batter than the horrid storm they'd been struggling through...

Aron kept his eyes closed, basking under the golden glow of the morning sun. In his ears echoed a sweet humming, a harmony of rises and falls like that of a placid ocean. The sound was beautiful, easing all the tension from his body. Sailors were always singing, and the crew of the Polaris were no exception. But as Aron started to open his eyes, he realised he didn't recognise the timbre of the voice that sang so gently.

"W-wha? How long was I asleep for?" Aron muttered, sitting up from the cabin bed.

Except he wasn't in bed. Any bed. He wasn't even in the Polaris.

In the back of his mind, somewhere submerged under this serene layer of sunshine and golden sand, Aron realised he was dreaming.

But it was a nice dream, he decided, and the singing was beautiful, so why not enjoy it? Reality could wait. If it was really important he get up then someone would come and wake him for the night watch shift.


	12. xii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D-1!!! 
> 
> to celebrate.......
> 
> (;

Even in his subconscious, Aron noticed, he couldn't quite escape the pull of the sea. He was on a beach - a shoreline he didn't recognise, probably a mental mesh of the many he had navigated along in his waking life - with the blue sky reflecting blue water and a soft hush of lapping waves inching near the soles of his feet. Palms dug lightly into the sand underneath as he pushed himself to sit upright.

  
The humming stopped abruptly. The air stilled. The hand that had been smoothing away his auburn fringe from his forehead also retreated.

  
Aron stared into the face of the man beside him.

  
This, he knew, was no dream, no mental painting derived from the beauties he'd glimpsed in reality.

  
He knew because his mind wouldn't be able to craft such perfection on its own - from the lavender brows to the golden skin, to the plump lips now parted in surprise as they stared at each other. 

  
They had only met for the first time tonight, but Aron knew this was a face he would never forget for as long as he lived. 

  
"Hey." Aron greeted the startled merman, grinning into the wide golden eyes. "Was that you singing just now? Really nice, never heard that song before." 

The merman parted his lips as if to speak, or maybe scream, but no sound came out. He began to retreat from his spot at Aron's side. As the distance increased between them, something caught the navigator's attention. If it wasn't a dream, if propriety had been important to observe, then Aron would have averted his gaze out of respect once the realisation hit him.

But this was not the reality he knew and the sight in front of him was impossible to ignore so he blurted out his first thought, 

"..where's your tail?"

Because the tracks in the sand were made by a pair of naked legs scooting away from him. Not a single lilac scale in sight. No fin. Not even a stitch of clothing for cover.

Just smooth bronzed skin cast with the remnants of crushed seashells, every miniscule muscular motion enhanced by the gold dust glittering from the morning sun's glance. The sun was not the only scorched stare to be endured; Aron felt himself heating up under his shirt as he looked the merman's - man's? - limbs over, from slender ankles to powerful calves to pillowy thighs to-

  
"Ah, this is because it's a dream, isn't it?" Aron chuckled sheepishly. "It has been a while, I guess." When he considered the last time he had a dream like this one, it too had been after a significant drought. He drank in the sight of the naked man with his legs curled up, the angled dip of his narrow waist so sharply cut between the hefty curves of his hips and ass that Aron was sure he could use it as an idealised ruler to measure maps instead of his drawing compass. The thought made Aron lose his breath, and he prayed his brain wouldn't forget the image once he woke up because he definitely wanted another dream like this, except with the merman spread over his desk, parted thighs weighting down the curled edges of the parchment maps while Aron licked a trail between them.

  
"What are you all the way over there for?" Aron turned onto his hands and knees, sitting back onto his heels. "Come on." He waved the silent man over, still smiling despite the lack of reaction. This was probably all part of the dream; his mind making the merman play hard to get - Aron supposed he knew himself best of all, since he always managed to fall for the ones who never leapt into his arms like he wished they would. 

"If you're not going to come over here then I'm coming to you." Just the thought of chasing this stunning man across the sands had Aron's fingers sweating, fisting the worn fabric of his trousers.

The merman shocked him when as he crawled forward, he shook his head. Aron stopped in his tracks.

"Ah," He smiled, "so you can understand me."

The merman dropped his gaze down to his knees, letting out a sound that if Aron didn't know any better, would have thought was a scoff. 

"How come you won't talk - you can talk too, can't you?" Aron insisted, and set another palm down closer. "Say something." Another knee shifting forward. The merman's eyes began to dart around the area, anywhere but at the human approaching him. "How about your name, you can tell me that. Just one word." Aron continued crawling in a slow pace, gaze locked on as the merman kept trying to avoid looking. 

"Come on, beautiful. I want to hear your voice again." The memory of that humming was still ringing in Aron's ears, seeping into his brain like the hot sunlight was burning into his back. He couldn't imagine the sound of the merman's true voice, but he ached for it, just like he did to sample a taste of the sweet lips now pursed in a resolute pout.

The merman shook his head, pulling his knees up to his chest.

"Are you afraid? Of me?" Aron asked kindly, stopping in his tracks. His fingertips were now grazing the sand indented by the merman's toes, so close he could feel the heat radiating from the untouched skin even more than the summer day his mind had conjured. 

Though Aron was beginning to wonder if it was really his mind who had created this paradise - a beach he had never seen, a merman with a voice he had never heard before, with a shapely body that he wanted to trace over with his own. It all seemed too perfect, yet too foreign, too new to be wholly his own creation. 

"If you won't tell me your name," Aron bargained when the merman only huffed again, "then tell me, is this your doing?"

Golden eyes swerved up to meet his. A half-smile began to tilt up the corner of pouty lips as the merman cocked his head to the side, a charming, sly gesture that Aron could practically hear the ' _maybe_ ' out loud. The navigator laughed.

"I see. And the storm?" 

He remembered a storm raging, he remembered the Polaris, he remembered being tired to the bone and soaked just as deep, and he definitely remembered a beautiful lilac tail existed where his confident hands now laid upon powerful human legs. Aron gripped the merman by the ankles and dragged him close, smirking when there was only the smallest token resistance of the other man bracing his hands behind himself. Aron guided the merman's legs to wrap around his still clothed waist, one hand releasing to settle at the small of the other's back and urged him into his lap.

It felt so real, so delicously real here and far better than the world he had left behind. Here, Aron could taste the tang of salt on the merman's skin as he dragged his tongue along the expanse of his chest, hand comfortably full squeezing one ass cheek while the other hung onto the merman's broad shoulders. Here paradise was found in the delightful sensitivity of pert nipples hardening under his kisses, and the tropical dreamscape was little more than a blurred backdrop to highlight the supernatural beauty whose transformation seemed to exist only to accept all of Aron's heated affections. There was no dream better than this.

"Tell me, beautiful." Aron muttered, chewing carefully up the column of the lovely man's neck, sucking on the bump of his adam's apple. It bobbed under his attention, a tiny whine escaping the tightly pursed lips. "Tell me your name."

Aron grinned, pulling his hand away from the merman's ass to his front. He could feel it the whole time as the merman grinded his hips to thrust against Aron's bared torso, eager, wanting, yet still refusing to look him in the eye. Aron teased a hand up the merman's outer thigh, watching his face for reactions. He was cute, really cute, Aron thought, trying not to frown but still wincing in delight and frustration when Aron's hand grazed his sensitive hardness without ever providing the pressure so clearly desired. "Tell me, let me hear you." 

The merman buried his face in Aron's neck, and let out a pitchy moan when finally, finally, a hand was wrapped around his aching cock and squeezed him.

Hard.

Then came Aron's reward: he heard exactly what he'd been waiting for.


	13. xiii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imintroubleimintroubleimintrou

They were out in the open ocean. That much, Jonghyun was certain of. He didn't need the stars to tell him. The increasing size of the waves were testament to how far they had drifted, the hurricane of wind rolling the Polaris further and further away from any chance of rescue.

Not that he expected any other ships to be out here. He hadn't given pause to think about it, either, but Jonghyun knew there wouldn't be anyone else caught up in this hellstorm. This was their storm and it was up to him to guide them through it.

With his trusted navigator still unconscious, Jonghyun had been relying purely on instinct as he rode the waves. He would need Aron's help when the waters ceased raging to find their way to a harbour. It would likely be days. Distance out here on the open sea felt as vast as this deadly storm. He spotted Mingi amidships, holding fast to the ropes and doing what he could to help with steering and protecting the vessel. Like him, he was sure Mingi and Minhyun were exhausted. Staying upright and running across the deck, attacked by water from every angle, the energy was draining out of them. But with such a small crew it couldn't be helped - there was no relieving them, especially with the only helmsman Jonghyun trusted now laying in the tiny ship's cabin below.

It was a marathon now, a test of endurance. Like the stranded fish dredged up from the Polaris' fishing nets, they would continue writhing to the very end. Jonghyun's grip tightened on the slippery handles of the ship's wheel. Jaw tense, he spun portside, attempting to nose through a gentler swell of the four storeyed waves while the wind pushed starboard. There was a path here. If he stayed sharp, if he was careful - if they were all careful and worked together, Jonghyun was certain they would see the sunrise. It had to only be a few hours away. Had to.


	14. xiv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's a marvellous night for a moon dance

Minhyun was also anticipating the dawn. As he carefully slid through the deck hatch, he tugged the safety line away from his shivering body and dropped it near the bottom of the stairs. He held onto the railing, wincing when a lurch from the ship sent it jabbing into his ribs as he stumbled. In spite of the pain, Minhyun managed to keep quiet and his lips sealed.

The others often teased him about his talkative nature, throwing good natured insults about how they could never imagine the sailor could keep his mouth shut except on the odd occasion where his silent stare was even worse. 

If they could see him now, long body lowered into a careful crouch, his almond eyes narrowed as he scanned the dark cavern, feet barely making so much of a splash in the shallow water, they wouldn't have thought him capable of it. 

That was fine by Minhyun. He didn't want any of them to see him, anyone, in fact, until the timing was right. 

His eyes adjusted to the darkness quickly. The shadowed outlines of the cargo boxes were familiar, most still in place where they had been strapped down. Somewhere near the bow he heard the rattling of an empty container hitting against the crates. Wood against wood, echoing; Minhyun smirked. Of course Mingi hadn't fastened the barrel properly. The younger man had been the wrong person to entrust such an important task to, in Minhyun's opinion, but Jonghyun had shot down his offer to stay and keep an eye on their precious cargo. Oh well. It didn't affect his plans in the long run. 

He was still here - and so too was his prize. Minhyun had been the one to cast the last net today, while Mingi was tasked with the sails, Aron with lowering the crates, and Jonghyun at the helm. He had been the one carefully ticking off each fastening, untangling the rope, and throwing it overboard. Leaning with his chin on the railing, Minhyun saw the weighted fibers sink down into the indigo ocean and disappear. He stared and stared, thinking about what laid beneath those dark waves until Jonghyun had ordered him to give Aron a hand. 

The last catch of the day.

Minhyun had been looking forward to it.


	15. xv

The merman was probably accustomed to the deep darkness as much as he would be the bright sunshine. With the crashing of the vengeful storm all around, Minhyun was certain his ascent from the upper deck had not gone noticed by either his Captain, his crewmates, and most importantly, his quarry. .Biting down on his top lip to fight the smile threatening to break free, Minhyun paused near a pile of loose netting floating on the water surface. Previously a prison for Minhyun's prize, now it wandered in the lower deck like a lost soul buried without coins for the ferryman. There was no need to retrieve it either, since another already weighted down his hand. 

He carefully stepped around it and stuck to the walls of the hull. One hand occupied, Minhyun kept his balance with the other, outstretched and skimming the wall planks. Blows from the waves continued to shake the vessel. Water splashed as cargo moved around. It masked the sound Minhyun was listening for but his sharp eyes were too fast.

He held his breath.

Before, when the waves had almost carried him off into the unforgiving ocean, Minhyun's pulse had been sedate. When water filled his lungs, he hadn't flailed in a panic. And when Jonghyun yanked him to safety, Minhyun had sputtered with laughter.

The ocean could scream all it wanted. Take the air from his lungs. The clouds could throw down rain, blind his eyes, and Minhyun laughed.

  
Catching a glimpse of rose gold, of shimmering lilac, the softest note of an ancient song--

  
\--Minhyun's heartbeat began to gallop.

He waited for the waves. Counted each seven, felt their flow and moved with them. The water lapped at his boots, nipping at his trouser cuffs. He made no extra sounds, keeping to the beat of the waves each time he took a step. He held his breath, ears pricked for the undercurrent hiding beneath the cacophany of the violent storm.

The notes were there, a melancholy melody of timeless sorrow and sweetest pain. Minhyun surpressed a shiver, the hairs on his arm spiking upwards as he drew closer to the source of the sound. Finally, he would gaze upon the only light his existence needed, his source, his beautiful prize.

And there he was, half-bare shoulder propped against the open doorway of the lone cabin, lilac tail unfurled in its full glory, caudal fin rippling to the rhythm of a song the heavens above, the ocean below, and Minhyun's heart all had fallen into tempo with.

Minhyun gripped the net in his hand tighter, poised. His heart was somewhere lodged in his throat, his almond eyes burning, his skin steaming hot as he realised his lovely prize was not singing for him.

He was singing for Aron.

No, that wouldn't do.

Minhyun had caught him first. It looked like he would have to catch him again.


	16. xvi

He almost broke the silence.

Instead he stared.

Minutes passed, dozens of bars being hummed and each note imprinting into Minhyun's mind. It joined the others that had already settled in since the storm began, harmonising perfectly with the strands of music that had always been there, an endless loop he often found himself singing along to since his younger days. It was a song that had no meaning until it was sang, a perfect fit, Minhyun thought, for this ancient tune that had no use until it was heard.

Seven waves.

On the seventh, he raised the net.

On the fourteenth, Minhyun cast it over the merman.

The latticed rope spiralled free and blossomed into a web over his target. Minhyun had already started rushing towards him before the merman could lift a scale. In a second the music that made the air heavy stopped, cut off by a frightened yelp. Lead weights thundered against the wooden planks like raucous applause for Minhyun’s successful capture. He accepted the praise since no one else was there to appreciate his perfectly executed plan except his prize, whose golden eyes glared at him. There were a few attempts to thrash his tail but the effort was weak. So too were the hands that tried to raise the heavy net over his head.

Minhyun stood tall, watching. Waiting until finally the only movements made were the slow blinks and hasty, panicked breaths heaving in and out of the muscled torso that might have, in a far off dreamscape of an unreal ocean, felt a far gentler and warmer carress than the chafing fibers of rope dumped over him now. 

Now that his quarry was subdued, Minhyun took his time to appreciate his catch of a lifetime. He walked slower now without concern for timing – stealth was no longer necessary. His nearest crewmate was lying down unconscious, strained groans slowly quietening down. The other two were busy handling a storm that was trying to tear them apart. Minhyun was the least of their concerns.

The merman looked paler than before. The rosy gold shimmer of his skin had dulled underneath the flimsy cover of his white shirt, the material barely clinging on over one shoulder and a single button. Scales that had once appeared as amethyst shards had now greyed to an antique lilac. The pink fin that Mingi had almost nuzzled hours ago suffered worst of all; it barely flicked up when Minhyun’s boots stomped an inch away.

He was beautiful. So terribly, wonderfully beautiful.

Almost perfect.

Minhyun was not a patient man but he knew that patience was the key to perfection in this particular instance. There was still a wait he had to endure.

It didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun.

“It must be tiring, keeping up this storm.” Minhyun commented, laughing when the merman’s lashes fluttered in obvious surprise. “You don’t need to waste your energy, you’re not getting off this boat before dawn. You see..”

Carefully he straddled the merman's tail, delighted when all his pretty prize could manage was a weak wriggle to try and buck him off. Minhyun waited for the golden eyes to come back to meet his before he continued, "I know all about your kind. What you really are."

There it was - a panicked widening of the merman's eyes.

Minhyun grinned, leaning in closer. His slender fingers eased through the gapped webbing of the fisherman's net as far as he could, fingertips grazing the damp edges of the merman's shirt. Underneath his thighs, he felt the merman squirm, trying to back up against the doorframe, shoulders squaring off to look larger than he was.

"You're adorable." Minhyun giggled, hands raising to meet the merman's clawed fingers trying to swat at him. He clamped down on the urge to yank him by the wrists, instead holding onto his fingers. "None of that, I know you're not going to hurt me - or any of us."

It was cute to him when the merman bared his blunt teeth, the same way a kitten might attempt a tiger's intidimating roar.

"I'm going to keep you in a safe place until daybreak, where you can't cause any more trouble." Minhyun felt the fingers in his grip wilt so he brought them to his lips, kissing along the crescents of the merman's lavender nails. "Don't worry, once you're transformed I'll let you out of the net. It won't be forever, a few more hours maybe. It's hard to tell with the storm. You know I almost fell overboard tonight?"

The merman huffed in quiet laughter, unapologetic. It trickled away, replaced with a look of wonder when Minhyun threw his head back and joined in. His chest was fluttering as he noticed merman's gaze no longer looked so frightened. "It was a rush under those waves. They must really want you to go back, huh?"

The merman frowned, nodding slowly.

"But if you get back into the water, we'd have to wait another full day for you to transform. And you'd probably run away. I'm glad I caught you when I did." Minhyun smiled. "And you'll be glad too, trust me."

The merman raised his chin in response, looking away but a little snort communicated his rebellion. Minhyun ignored it, easing himself back onto his feet.

The Polaris continued to shudder under the pressure of the roaring waves but Minhyun was confident that it wouldn't take much longer for the storm to clear and forget its wrath.

Once it did, then he would claim his prize fully.


	17. xvii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still dead but im trying

Mingi wasn't sure if it was his imagination or the exhaustion, but when he looked out to the waters, the storm seemed just as powerful as ever, with no signs of slowing down. Down near the mast, he saw Minhyun tightening ropes and staring up to check on their sail. It was definitely the exhaustion, Mingi decided, because for a moment he was certain the tall sailor was grinning, but when he blinked, Minhyun's face was the picture of calm. It was defintely the seawater getting into his eyes, had to be.

Over at the helm, their Captain stood strong. The stormclouds had etched their darkness into Jonghyun's eyes as he steered on. He broke silence only to bark orders. Mingi was quick to obey; a few times in the last minutes wondering if Minhyun had disappeared or was just slacking off because he ended up doing the tasks alone. Wouldn't be the first time, he thought.

He longed for the daylight. For a glimpse of the sun to peek through these angry clouds. With the devastating swells battering their tiny ship, Mingi couldn't even remember what a calm blue ocean felt like. His organs had been tipped upside down and strangled bile up his throat after so many hours of being thrown around the slippery Polaris deck. Mingi just wanted to sit down. Rest for a minute. Maybe..

Glancing at Jonghyun again, the Captain seemed distant, his focus on his work. Guilt filled Mingi's thoughts - he couldn't just abandon his post, what if the Captain needed him for something - but then Minhyun was still here, let him do it. And it would only be a quick look, a tiny little break to see if their guest below was comfortable. Maybe bask in the glow that radiated from him like the sunlight now hidden behind unending clouds.

Yes. Mingi would be in and out before the next wave even hit. Jonghyun wouldn't notice. Minhyun was still tending to the ropes, no one would miss him-- no one but the merman, who was probably terrified and lonely downstairs. Mingi could imagine it now: how his teary golden eyes would blink up at him and raise trembling arms and lips towards him to be caressed. Mingi would provide him comfort, take his meek form into his embrace and give anything he needed at all the merman had only to ask, he had to go down and see--

The hatch burst open. Mingi yelped, falling onto the deck and scurried back to put some distance, the coil of safety rope slithering behind like a startled tail. There was no light on deck except the weak lantern installed at the helm. But Mingi recognised the outline in the darkness instantly. Years of working together would do that.

"Aron?!"


	18. xviii

It was a score against the relentless bad luck of the night. Jonghyun barely had time to look over to where Mingi was shouting but he didn't have to, he could hear Aron's voice too. His good friend was alive and well enough to be walking - questionable on that second thought, though Jonghyun reasoned that it was likely the severity of the storm that had encouraged the not-quite able sailor out of bed and back on the deck at the ready.

"Relieve Minhyun amidships." Jonghyun commanded when Aron staggered towards the helm.

The night had already been long, the hours draining energy from their bodies; to have a break was a small luxury he only meted out at times of necessity. If now wasn't it, then he wondered if they would live long enough to have another.

As he turned starboard to check on the other members of his crew, suddenly Jonghyun's forearms were slammed with the full weight of Aron's body falling against them. He freed a steering hand to try to prop him upright, only for it to be slapped aside. "Aron wha-?!"

"Captain!" Aron roared over the storm, spraying rainwater and spit into Jonghyun's face. "We have to throw Dongho overboard! It's the only way!"

Under the weak light of the lantern, Jonghyun stared into his old friend's crazed expression. The bandage Mingi had wrapped around his forehead now circled like a deranged half over Aron's face, dripping down his neck and shoulders. Rain had stained his red hair into an enormous maroon scab and, Jonghyun noted, he'd left both his sanity and his shirt somewhere below the deck. It was the head injury, that had to be it.

"Aron, get back below deck! That's an order!" Jonghyun snapped, shouldering Aron away and resumed his grip on the ship's wheel.

More waves were coming, he had to foc-

Aron leapt back onto the wheel, trying to wrest it from Jonghyun's control. "No! Listen! We're all gonna die if he doesn't get back to sea before sunrise. You have to-"

"Aron. Get. Below." Jonghyun whipped his head around, shouting for Mingi and Minhyun to get over here. Minhyun was far off at the bow of the Polaris, didn't move a muscle in the helm's direction when called for. He had no idea where Mingi was, but he didn't have time to look.

"You're not hearing me Jonghyun!" Aron grabbed at Jonghyun's shoulders. Reluctantly, Jonghyun tore his eyes away from the waves surrounding them to look at Aron's wild expression. "It's the merman, the merman! Dongho! The storm won't stop until we give him back!"

"You're mad!" Jonghyun felt his anger rising. He didn't have time for this gibberish. "It's a just a fish damnit."

It wasn't, he knew it wasn't. The rage of the ocean was nothing like he had ever experienced before, but what did that fish have to do with it? When the madness passed, Jonghyun knew Aron would be sensible and see reason.

He looked for the other crewman, battling Aron off with his elbows while trying to steer through the shadows. "Get- off-!"

"I won't! Jonghyun!" Aron shouted, prying one of Jonghyun's hands off the wheel again and dragging the controls south. The navigator yanked and both men slipped onto the deck. The wheel spun free.

Immeadiately the Polaris began to swerve off-course, rudder at the mercy of the waves while the hull and mast careened under the punches of terrible wind. Her stem no longer cut through the path of least resistance, the golden trail that Jonghyun had been chasing this long night to keep them all afloat..

Jonghyun no longer bothered with words. Aron was mad. He tried to reach for the wheel. There was time before the waves struck, there had to be. He had to right their course.

Aron was quicker. With a scream he pounced on top of Jonghyun and attempted to pin him down. Under the curtains of rain, the grip was poor. As the Polaris keeled, the pair slid helplessly over the upper deck until they collided with the bannisters. Jonghyun felt the safety rope around him squeezing his intestines as it pulled taut, keeping him secure. He almost threw up from the pressure. Swallowed it down. Grabbed the tight length of rope and tried to pull himself back to his feet.

Aron was still clinging to him; it was the only reason the man hadn't flown overboard, so Jonghyun might have been grateful.

He couldn't be when the Polaris was teetering on her side. Jonghyun looked past the edge of the ship where dancing shadows loomed like ravenous beasts towering over broken-legged prey.

They were the prey, Jonghyun knew. Aron had been consumed already, somehow.

Now it was their turn.


	19. xix

It had really been the perfect dream, so much so that Aron was less bothered by whether or not his own mind had created it, or if it was the product of a magical lure of a underwater angel. As he leaned back on his elbows and enjoyed the beautiful view above him, the heat surrounding him, and the voice that sang now in soft moans and mumbles, Aron decided it might even be better if all of this were the creation of the lovely being currently bouncing on his cock, riding him like a desperate boat caught on bucking waves.

"Mm..is this what you wanted Dongho?" Aron purred, lifting his hips from the makeshift blanket of his empty trousers covering the sand beneath him. Each thrust had his body escaping one heat to trade for the pleasure of another. The lavender-haired merman had his eyes squeezed shut, thighs quivering with effort as he lowered himself to meet Aron's thrust.

"N-no." Dongho mumbled between grit teeth. "Aahh, it's-I'm--" Golden eyes snapped open when Aron grabbed hold of his hips, forcing him still. "Nh?" Dongho attempted to wriggle free and push down, slam himself onto the navigator's cock, but Aron kept him in place.

"Then what do you want?" Aron insisted, smiling. The hips between his palms tried to get free, and for a moment Aron almost felt for him; he'd been caught in their net tonight with nowhere to go, stuffed into a barrel like a common fish at their Captain's orders, but Aron knew if Jonghyun had seen Dongho like he was now: glistening under the warm sun, salt and sand dusted across golden skin while his beautiful brows frowned from the effort of keeping himself upright while a huge cock pounded into his tight ass - there was no way the Captain would have done anything else but abandon ship and worship him.

_His loss_ , Aron thought, and wasn't very sorry for it, because the treasure Jonghyun so carelessly threw aside was now his for the taking, and fuck Dongho took him so damn well it was difficult to even have the strength to tease the merman.

"If you don't want this, then I can stop?" Aron offered, attempting to pull out.

The merman whined, hands grabbing at Aron's wrists to pluck them off his hipbones but the navigator was stronger, not letting the willing gravity of Dongho's ass fall against him. "Don't stop." Dongho was close, so close; Aron could tell by how his entrance clenched around him. Sweat dripped from the tip of Dongho's nose, splashing against Aron's tanned belly, joining the streaks of precum the merman's leaking cock had slapped there from his vigorous bouncing. "I don't want you to stop." He turned golden eyes pleadingly to the sailor's smirk, visibly surprised when Aron wasn't smirking any more - he was smiling, almost gently, and reached up one hand to part the lavender curls from Dongho's sweaty brow. Dongho eased back down, asscheeks squashed against Aron's flat hips. They both let out a pleased sigh.

"You're beautiful, so beautiful." Aron told him. "How am I going to let you go?"

"You--please." Dongho begged, hips rising and falling, shivering when Aron didn't let up, pushing deeper inside him. "Aron. I need-,"

"And what if I need you, hm?" Aron couldn't imagine being able to live without this now that he had tasted the sweetness of Dongho's lips, the delightful heat of his transformed body.

"I'll be stuck if I d-don't--ahaahh!" Dongho panted, toes curling in the sand as Aron began to thrust harder, quicker, chasing his orgasm that had been building up, each stroke into Dongho's tight hole edging him closer.

"Then stay. Stay, Dongho- ahh." The lovely merman was shaking above him, whipping his head back and forth. Aron wanted to imprint this in his mind, to watch the moment and see Dongho unravel, but it was impossible to keep his eyes open when it felt this good-

"Aron, I'm gonna, I want--"

\- for Aron too, it was incredible, Dongho was perfect, from the moment he sobbed his own name for Aron, from the moment they kissed, Aron knew he'd want no other, need nothing else save for this one man, this beautiful merman who was screaming and the whole world shook at the sound of his cry. Aron felt like he was falling, drowning, his balls tightening in preparation to release and fill Dongho's insides hot and ready for him

"Dongho I'm-"

The beach was gone.

The song was over.

But the storm raged on, and Aron woke up in the cabin bed, sweating and alone. The merman was nowhere to be found.

"Dongho!"


	20. xx

Jonghyun had always wanted his own vessel. He was practically raised onboard his father's ship, the Acrux. Long days of his youth were spent swabbing decks, catching fish, untangling nets and tying knots. His father taught him almost everything he knew about how to run a ship. Jonghyun wanted to be just like him. He wanted to stand behind the helm. He wanted to master the seas and every single thing in it.

  
  


His proudest moment was that first time he stood on his new ship, the smooth oak handles of the ship's wheel gripped in his rough palms. Jonghyun had felt invincible at his pedestal. The wind had been calm that morning, the waves perfect for sailing. Dawn had barely touched the sky, a whisper of light at the edge of the horizon.

  
  


The Polaris had been new - to him, at least- and he'd named her as befitting a Queen; she was the guiding light that would never be lost to the seas. She could only conquer. And should she ever falter, then Jonghyun knew it would be because of him failing in his duty. He took the responsiblity seriously. The lives of his crew and his beloved ship were always in his hands when he stood at the helm. If calamity were to befall them, then it would be on Jonghyun to save or damn them.

  
  


It was only right.

  
  


That was the burden of captaincy.

  
  


Now, with vicious waves descending to ravage the Polaris' dainty curves, with his insane first mate barely managing to keep his grip around Jonghyun's waist, with the keel reaching for the sky and sending them under-

  
  


-he should have been glad.

  
  


It should have been relief to feel the keel slam back into the inky blackness, throwing them up into the air only to land back onto a righted deck. The water peeled away from the Polari's pointed nose in elegant spirals as she wobbled her way up along the side of tidal wave to crest safely.

  
  


He should have been happy.

  
  


Jonghyun was fucking furious.

  
  


Dangling from his Polaris' wheel, Minhyun had pitched his entire body weight to the deck to oppose its dangerous rotation into oblivion. Pale arms were strained to their limits, using muscles Jonghyun was certain had never been bothered with until this very moment.

  
  


This moment should have been his.

  
  


Instead, that slacker Minhyun was at the helm, pulling them free of the deadly wave-- and Jonghyun would make sure he didn't have the chance to ever do so again.

  
  


Not on his ship. Not so long as he was Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> updates will be slower from here on out...im rly sorry everyone ):


	21. xxi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's for my hero of the night; sorry i wish it was better ):

Even during the brightest summer days, the lower deck was drenched in darkness. Mingi never liked going down there since his days starting as a deckhand. Despite the Polaris being a smaller vessel than the first few he'd served on, her lower deck shared the same characteristics on all ships that he hated; namely, that it was always cold, dark, that the clinging scent of the sea seeped through the air and penetrated the marrow of his bones, and worst of all, that the Captain usually only sent him down here to get rid of him for a few minutes.   
When the day’s catch was especially bountiful, labour in the belly of the Polaris was back-breaking. There were crates to shift and fill, barrels to roll and bind, ropes to hang and hoist. Combined with the constant up and down of the sole stairway, a full day tested Mingi to his physical limits. He preferred to be up on the deck in the fresh air, where he could see the waves rippling under the sun instead of only feeling their bumps under his blind feet. 

For once, the darkness within the Polaris' hull was brighter than the world attempting to destroy them outside. Mingi's eyes refocussed, hands wringing seawater from the ropes as he descended. 

If he hated it down here, he could only imagine what it would be like for the merman.

"It's just me!" Mingi called out over the slosh of crates skidding in the shallow water. He didn't want to frighten the poor merman any more than he probably was already, with the entire ship starting to turn sideways and loose gear slamming into the wall. "Where are you? I can't see..what happened to the lights?"

The usual eerie glow of the lanterns he expected to see was nowhere to be found. Their flameless bodies dangled like carcasses in a slaughterhouse, metal frames rattling as the boat lurched to and fro. A lone light remained, illuminating the cabin interior and flickering as the ajar door flapped free. Mingi stumbled towards it and used chance and luck to navigate through the debris without injury. As the Polaris tilted, he fell forward on hands and knees.

Up above, Mingi knew the others would be taking care of the ship. Aron was making his way to the helm when Mingi saw him, Minhyun would be on the ropes, and Jonghyun would keep them on afloat. They could take care of that and Mingi?

He could take care of the lovely cargo down here. 

Just like he had been before the Captain had summoned him above.

Mingi's mind filled with images of gold eyes and parted lips ready to sing his protector's name in relief with a voice he had yet to hear, but somehow he was certain of how it would sound: warm, honeyed, like the numbing caress of liquor drowning away lingering worries of the day. Mingi would give him that same comfort.

Leaping for the cabin door frame, Mingi managed to grip the edges and hoist himself into the tiny enclave just as the Polaris' axis threatened to invert. He pressed his back against the wall that was being converted into a floor. Heartbeat frantic, he looked around the room for something better to grab onto. The roof lantern was still miraculously lit, straining at a new angle from the ceiling. Everything not nailed down - books, maps, quills, hooks, bedding - either soaked in seawater or carpeted the walls. Nothing was safe. Not him, not the ship, not the merman.

Aron had been in here only a few minutes ago. Mingi struggled to remember what it had looked like when he'd dragged him onto the now-empty slab of wood. It had been ordered, neat. Like the calm waves this morning. 

Now it was as wild in here as the world out there. 

Mingi panted, arms straining at the effort to keep himself in place. Somewhere in the darkness, he knew that the merman must be in trouble, flopping loose among the ropes and barrels like the ruined instruments that littered the cabin's new floor. He had to find him. He had to go to him. 

"Please, Captain..hurry.." 

For the first time tonight, Mingi's prayers were answered. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> r.i.p baekho's pastel hair and my motivation for living, 2020-2020.

**Author's Note:**

> comments/kudos are hugely motivating and always appreciated! come talk to me on twt @3minswriting


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